Rail-connecting means.



E, G. SMITH. RAIL IONNECTING MEANS. APPLICATION FILED AUG.25, i914.

Patented June 1, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

G. SMITH, OF FQSTORIA, OHIO.

RAIL-CONNECTIVNG MEANS.

specification oftetters Patent.

rammed June 1,1915.

Application :tiled August 25, 1914. Serial Nc. 858,501.

` T all 'whom 'it may concern A A so Be it known that I, ELMER Gr. SMITH, a citizen of the United States, ,residing at Fostoria, in the county of Seneca and State of Ohio, have invented new and useful Improvements in Rail-Connecting Means, of which the following is a specification. A

The present invention relates to improven-ents in rail connecting means, and resides in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts set forth in the following speciiication and falling within the scope of the appended claims.

The primary object of thev invention is to provide'a rail support in"the nature of a chair member which comprises a permanent anda removable member, each of said mem- `ers having an electric conductor wire associated therewith and contacting between the rails and chair members to force the same into frictional contact with the rails, and to also provide simple but effective means whereby the removable member is eiectively secured in its interlocking engagement with the permanent member.

v Other objects and advantages will appear as the nature of the invention is more yfully understood, reference being had to the drawings accompanyingthis specification.

`While the drawings illustrate a simple andl .satisfactory reduction of my improvement to practice, the nature of the invention is such that the same .is susceptible of exemplication 1n various forms and changes 1n proportion and degree, so I am not to be restricted to the showing therein, but am entitled to all such changes as falll within the scope of the appended claims.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is aperspective lview illustrating two rails connected in accordance with my invention, Fig. 2 is a top Avplan'view of the same, Fig. 3 is a transverse section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2, Fig. 4 is a similar view on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2, Fig. 5 -i's a perspective view of one of the joint chair members, and Fig. 6 is a similar view of the second and removable chair member. Fig. 7 is a horizontal sectionalview taken in 'a line with the conductor wires and illustrating the Amanner in which the said wires #are received within the channels inthe webs of the rails,\Fig. 8 is a detail horizontal sectional view illustrating the manner which A`,the spring pressed pin 18 engages with ,one

of the depressions or sockets 28 in the member 19.

.My improved rail fastener may be of a size to fit upon two ties and have the roadbed tamped thereunder, and the same may have its ends also secured to the adjacent ties, but the device also may rest upon any number or" ties and be secured thereto in any desired or preferred manner. Y

The improvement contemplates a chair which is broadlyr designated by the character C and which is adapted to receive and support the ends of two rails R-R which are of the ordinary construction and which rest upon ties T.

vThe chair comprises a base 1 which, in the showing of the drawings, is of a length corresponding to the distance between two of the ties T, and the said base may be secured to the tie if desired. The roadbed is tamped beneath the ties to bring the base flush with the upper faces of the ties. The base 3 has integrally formed upon one of its longitudi- 'nal edges a vertically projecting portion 4:

having an inwardly extending angular flange 5 which is shaped to correspond with the shape of one side of the rail engaging both the base and within the fishing spaces of `.the said rails. The lower angular face of `the flange 5 is provided withalug 6 that is also formed with the lower or horizontal face in the rail receiving portion of the chair, and the base flanges of-the rails, to one oi' their sides and at their meeting ends are notched, as at 7, to engage with the lug 6. This lug 6 prevents either of the rails cree` ing toward the other rail and also limits tl e movement of the rails toward each other when the same are contracted by cold.

Secured within suitable openings in the verv tical member of the rail engaging flange are the .ends of a .conductor wire 8, which extends longitudinally a suitable distance in both directions from the center of the iiange 5, and the webs of the rails at their meeting ends maybe, and preferably are, provided with registering ,depressions o r channels 9 This wire not only `servies as a positive conducting member beto receive the wire.

tween the rails but also sufciently contacts' I `with the'rails .to force the sameaway'from the flange ,,and by reference to ,the .drawings A-it willl-vkae^notedfthat the .holes or openings which receive #he ends of vn@ are designated by the numeral 16. The verti` flared or inclined toward lrhe opposite sides of the chair.

ri`he basereceivirJ portion of the chairfis provided, at a di .ance beyond the inner facev of the flange Jr side 5, with a channel 10 which is horizontally straight and Which has its shoulder 11 parallel with, but, as stated, la i distance beyond the. inner vertically straight railengagi'ng portions of the flange 'or side 5. The opposite vertical Wall 13 in- -clines from one of the ends of thech'air to the opposite end, thereof, a horizontally straight an'ge projecting inwardly beyond the said angular Wall 13, and this flange has its lower face arranged vina line With or Vflush with the horizontal rail receiving Wall 12. The overlying portionor ledge 14 has its inner face arranged parallel with' the v.angular Wall or shoulder 13, and the chair iscut away above the ledge 14: to provide a longitudinally extendingtongue, which is The numeral 19 designates the removable memberfor the chair. This memberincludes a base 2O vvhich is horizontally flat and of a thickness equaling the distance between the Walls or floors 10 and 12 and the distance between the tongue 16 and the Wall,

11. The inner edge of the base 20, which is -desig'nated'by the numeral 21, is longitudinally straight, or isA arranged at a right angle to its straight ends, butv the opposite side 22 olf-said base is arranged at an inclination, that is, the said Wall is of a' lesser Width at one end of the chair than at the other end. The base is provided upon its inner face and at a distance from its inner j Wall21'vvith an angularly disposed side or flange 23 .which is of a similar formation to that of the flange 5, the same being adapted i to overlie the base flanges of the rails and to engage within the :fishing spaces thereof, and the vertical inner face of the said flange isvprovided with a longitudinally extending conductor ,vvlire 24 which has its ends rec :eived in laterally disposed openings,rand if desired, a portion of said wire maybe refceived -W1tin a longitudinally extending groove provided inthe face 24.'

- The outer inclined Wall 22 is formed with :if-longitudinally extending channel 25 pro-v viding the upper edge of said Wall-With a .beveled as Well as an inclinedface 26 and itl/ae inner Wall provided by the said groove afisarranged parallel with the Walls 22 and 26, so that the tongue 16 maybe received within the said groove. The Wall 22 cons tacts with `the Wall 13 and the removable member and the Wall 26 being shaped to member is arranged upon the stationary agree with the Wall-17 is -engaged and partially overlapped bythe said Wall 17. The Wall 26 at its enlarged end is provided with a plurality of depressions or sockets 28, anyotvvhich' being-adapted to be engaged by the rounded head of the spring pressed v.pin 18. It is to be here stated that the depressions 28 are 1n alinement, and the guiding Walls between the same areconcaved so'thut the member 19 maybe driven the desired distance upon the stationary member of the chair Without injury `to the pin. r ,j

`The numeral 50I d'signates a headed bolt member having its .shank provided `with a 'spring being arranged between the pin and the inner .Wall of the bore, and the bolt member 50-is, of course, removable to permit of the pin being disengaged from the depres .sions or sockets 28 in the member llto permit fof the removal- 'of said member 19.

' From the above description, 'taken infconfor engaging-the rails, the said base-having a longitudinally channeled portion, one of the longitudinal walls lof which being inclined from one end of the base tothe opposite end thereof, the said inclined vfall being grooved parallel With the horizontal portion of the channel, to provide a tongue, a removable member having one of its sides formed with a flange to engage the rails, and its opposite side inclined `from one of its ends to its opposite end, the said inclinedside being channeled to receive the tongue of' the chair` and automatic means for. locking the removable member 4upon the chair member.

bore Within which vhe pin 18 is received, the

upon which the rails rest and having a flange 2. A railjoint including a chairi having a base uponzwhich the rails rest, the base having one its sides formed With a rail enga ging flange, the, said base being channeled y longitudinally and tlte outer Wall of the said channeled portion being grooved-to 'provide a tongue, a removable member having a base, a portion of which underlies the base of the rails, and being formed with a ange'which engages with the sides ofthe rails, the opposite side of theremovable member being of the chair, a spring pressed`V pin upon the provided with a groove to receive the tongue chair, and the removable member having depressions arranged in a line with the /wliich the rails rest, and which has one of its sides formed with a flange to engage with the sides of the rails,vthe said base having 1G a longitudinal channel Within the rail seat,

the outer Wall of the channel being inclined l from one ofthe ends of the chair to the op- -posite end thereof, the said outer Wall having a lower. groove and an upper groove pro- Y l5 vviding a tongue, the Walls of the groove and tongue agreeing with the inclination of the said side, `the upper Wall being beveled, the

said upper wall at the reduced end of the chair having a spring pressed pin, a re- 2@ movable member including a base which has its inner side provided With` a flange which engages with the rail, and the said base beloW the ange receiving the portions of the rail projecting beyond the rail seat of the chair proper, the opposite side of the removable member being inclined rom one of its ends to the opposite end thereof to agree with the indlined Walls of the chair proper, said outer Wall of the removable member being centrally grooved to receive the tongue of the chair, the Wall above the groove being beveled and co-actingwith the beveled upper Wall of the chair proper, and the said beveled Wall of the removable member being .provided With a'plurality of intersecting depressions any one p of which receiving the spring pressed member of the chair proper to retain the removable member upon the chair. t

In testimony'whereof Iaix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

ELMER G. SMITH.

Witnesses JOHN R. BRADNER, W. H. WILsoN. 

